


Is There Room for One More?

by El_Tofu_san



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Family Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Post KH 3, Post KHIII, Pre-KH3 DLC, Sea Salt Family (Kingdom Hearts), Sea Salt Family extended version
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:15:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26598925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/El_Tofu_san/pseuds/El_Tofu_san
Summary: Even though Lea finally had a good chunk of his extended sea salt family back together, two were still missing, and he was saddened at the thought of losing another. But he knew, deep down, that she could no longerwait, she needed todo.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 20





	Is There Room for One More?

Lea wasn’t one to wake easily, so when the fog from his eyes cleared to reflect the red lines of 5:36 AM on his desk clock, he knew something wasn’t right. The usual sounds of Isa’s light snoring down the hallway to his right, and the annoying grinding of Roxas’ teeth, as if the boy was eating ice cream in his sleep, from the room across could be heard. _Why am I up at this ungodly hour?_ Just as the rhythmic clicking of his ceiling fan slowly lulled Lea back into his slumber, he heard something unusual.

Babysitting two teenagers who both suffered from traumas and nightmares bigger than most kids their age would ever have to experience in a lifetime gave Lea enough experience with the _sniffle-gasp-sniffle-sob_ song. The newly equipped heart beating in his chest pulled him into a sitting position, because this heart came “feelings” and with feelings came, “obligations to stop the bad feelings that made people he cared about cry.”

_I love them, I really do, but I didn’t want to replace the tears under my eyes with bags_ , Lea thought to himself as he slipped his feet into those disgustingly red bunny shaped slippers Xion thought would, “Match your hair color!”

He trudged his way over to the guest room and put his ear to the closed wooden door. _Yep, this is the one._ The occupant’s sobs were muffled, which wasn’t all that surprising. She was trying to be strong, but Lea knew better. He knew that the ones who look all put together at the worst of times fall apart when no one was looking. He waited for a couple of seconds to hear if he was found out, but when her sniffling didn’t recede, he knew it was time. The red head lightly knocked on the door.

“Kairi,” He heard sheets shuffling, and her breathing paused, “Can I come in?”

_“Axel?”_ she whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear. A little louder, she replied, “um…hang on!” Lea heard more shuffling.

Lea stepped back from the door when he heard her footsteps approach. Softly creaking, the door moved toward Lea to reveal another half pint teen with red eyes, swollen nose, and puffy cheeks. As usual, she tried to form a small smile to greet her fellow keyblade comrade as she had done so many times before. Kairi looked up to see his face and their eyes met. A moment later, her breath hitched and a single tear rolled down her face. 

Kairi looked down in defeat. She tried so hard to make sure her friends didn’t see this side of her, yet she could feel her barriers crumble. He reached for her hand, and she gladly gave it a good squeeze. 

For the short time that he has known her, Kairi was always so patient about things that she couldn’t control, and optimistic about the things she could. She cared so much for the people she knew, the people she had yet to meet, and even to the person who kidnapped her. This vulnerable side of her was hidden, deep within a place that even the darkness could not find. But at this very moment, holding Lea’s hand and feeling his concern for her, it was all too much to keep together. 

“I’m coming in, tap twice if that’s okay.” He didn’t want to assume she wanted his company just because she was hurting and it seemed like the right thing to do to ask for her permission first.

He waited a few seconds and his hand caught a few tears, but then he felt it. _Tap, Tap_

Lea guided Kairi a few steps into her room, and gently closed the door as to not wake the others. If she wanted to hide her tears from everyone by crying in the middle of the night, the last thing she needed was for the whole house to wake and four extra pairs of eyes mirroring the same concern in his own. He embraced the small teen, letting her tears fall freely. The dam had broken, and though it hurt to see his friend in so much pain, he was glad she finally let it out. 

No matter how much practice Lea had with sobbing teenagers, this part was never his forte; comfort. His heart demanded that he do something, so he did the only thing he knew best and that was talking. He knelt down to look at her face. 

“Riku will find him. He made you a promise, and that half-pint hero is not one to break promises. When he gets back, I’ll give him a good whack on the head, for everyone who was worried about him, one for you, one for Xion, one for Namine, one for Roxas, one for Riku, wow, he’s going to need Goofy’s hat to hide all those bumps!”

Lea was uncomfortable, Kairi could tell because his jokes got worse and worse as he tried to cheer her up, but it made her smile even with her tears still falling. She went to wipe her eyes with her pajama sleeve, in an attempt to stop crying so Lea could stop being such a dork, but he caught her arm and handed her some tissues instead. 

“Cry Kairi, don’t stop until you feel like it. It’s okay to feel sad, it’s okay to feel hurt. Let your heart feel what it wants to feel.” 

And so she did, her mouth trembled, and her face grew warm. She closed her eyes and finally let the grief and anxiety wash over her. Sora was missing, all because she was kidnapped and subsequently _disappeared_. When she finally came to, she learned that Riku left shortly after to go find him, and now the King couldn’t contact Riku either. She thought that being a guardian of light meant she was done waiting for her friends to return, that she could _protect them_. But she was wrong, she was still _being protected_. Back then, she was used to feeling somewhat helpless while her friends travelled to different worlds to find each other, because she didn’t have the means to help them. But now she did, and still she failed. She was so frustrated, utterly and completely frustrated. It felt like the three of them were destined to be apart forever. 

Kairi allowed herself this moment to wallow in her negative emotions, because suppressing them for so many _years_ left her in pieces that she didn’t know had already shattered. Lea couldn’t do more than hold her hand, and support her while she vented her frustration. He couldn’t take away her worries, he couldn’t bring her boys home, and he couldn’t even tell her where they were and if they were safe. Nothing in life is guaranteed, and the uncertainty was absolutely terrifying. 

“I don’t know where Riku and Sora are, or when they’ll come back, but I know in my heart that they will come home. I _believe_ that your boys will do whatever it takes to come back to you.”

“Believe, without any proof?” She asked already knowing the answer. Lea paused, as if he had heard this before from a voice so similar...from someone he could barely remember.

Regaining composure, “Yeah, _we_ already believe. All of us, me, Roxas, Xion, Namine, even Isa. And we will be waiting for their return with you too.” He squeezed her hand again. “But in the meantime, it’s okay to feel down and out every once in a while, and when you need a hand to hold, or a body to beat up, I’ll be there.” Kairi giggled through the tears, and genuinely smiled. She knew this too, but it didn’t hurt to get reassurance. He touched her heart, letting her know that she didn’t have to face the darkness alone. Even Sora sometimes succumbed to darkness, and she always made sure he wasn’t alone. Darkness will always be there, but so will the light, and today, Lea’s heart was really shining. 

He looked like he had something else to say at the end of this triumphant speech with the way his finger was twitching in her hand.

“Don’t say it”

“But I gotta say it now”

“Don’t say it, Axel,” She warned again.

“...”

“Got it...memorized?”

She facepalmed. He was such a dork, in an overprotective big brother sort of way. But she loved it. She really loved her friends with all her heart. There will be times of pain and sadness, she knew that much, but being reminded that she could rely on others made everything hurt just a little bit less.

* * *

_Is that...vanilla?_ Other hints of sugar and cardamom filled the sleepy blond’s nose, slowly pulling him away for his dreamland of bouncy blue, tub-like creatures. It was such an enjoyable change from the many nightmares that usually plague his dreams, but the sweet smell of breakfast wafting in this room might make up for cutting his little adventure short. 

Swinging both legs over the edge of his bed, the teen wondered in the direction of the delicious aroma. The sun beamed through the open window in the kitchen, blindly shining in his eyes as he approached the trio making what he hoped would be his breakfast. Behind them, the lightly floured counter was cluttered with several mixing bowls filled with more than enough pancake batter for six people. Kairi was tending to a pan on the stove, with Lea resting his hand on her head peering over, and Namine pinching the end of Kairi’s skirt, watching her work. The duo was so engrossed with the art of pancake flipping that they didn’t notice when Roxas joined them on the vacant side of the stove. 

“Wow Kairi, these smell amazing. You should teach Axel how to make them. His cooking skills are limited to frozen food”

“They are the only things that can handle this level of heat” He said gesturing to himself, an extra swing of the hips for good measure. “You’re lucky I even feed you ungrateful zombie child. And where did you even come from?”

“My room.” Roxas’ monotone response, accompanied by his deadpan expression popped a vein in Lea’s forehead. _The nerve!_ Lea traded his perched position on Kairi’s head to grab the blonde’s instead, giving him a good ruffle. Lea knew how much Roxas hated his hair being tousled.

“Cut it out Axel! Stop!”

“No can do short-stack.” Lea loved using their height difference to antagonIze the boy.

“Axel! It’s your turn!” Kairi called from the stove. Lea released his hold on the blonde boy to take up the second skillet on the stove. As the batter sizzled upon touching the hot surface, Lea shouted, “Roxas, go wake up Xion and Isa, breakfast will be ready soon!” 

“Make sure he doesn’t burn them Kairi! Our fate is in your hands!”

“Why you little — ”

* * *

The gang planned on paying Aqua, Terra and Ven a visit in the afternoon, so the crew was packing up some essentials to bring as a housewarming gift, leaving Kairi and Lea to clean up the dishes from breakfast.

“Unbelievable, we got up early, made everyone their damn breakfast, and we get stuck with dish duty! Where’s the justice in that!” He handed her a plate.

“We did pull the shortest straws.” She dried the plate and packed it into the cabinet.

“Still! That’s the last time I’ll try to feed those beasts!” This time a mug.

“But your pancakes came out great! It would be a shame to starve the world of your great cooking potential.” She placed the dry mug next to the plate.

“Yeah, well, you’re just trying to butter me up.”

“Is it working?”

“Yes…”

She giggled. Her cheeks started to warm up from this silly banter. When they first went to the space Merlin created for them to train in, Lea was so awkward and polite. He would apologize for every hit he landed during a spar, or when he would walk ahead of her after their training sessions purely because she couldn’t match the shrides of his longer legs. Other times she would catch him staring at her or into space, his mind drifting further away, only to be jolted back so forcefully it brought tears to his eyes. He would apologize for that too. Kairi was so grateful he gained all that he had once lost, and that she was able to be a part of that. He had nothing to apologize for, only thankful.

“Hey Axel.”

“Yeah Princess” Oh she hated that nickname. She pouted and he smirked.

“Remember when you said I should feel what I want to feel”

“Yeah”

“I feel like I want to go.”

“The bathroom’s on the left of the hallway.”

“No! Not the bathroom! Axel!”

“Ha, okay! Where do you want to go?”

“I want to go find Sora and Riku.”

His movements stopped, and a continuous stream of water resonated against the bottom of the metal sink. He turned to her. For the first time in a while, Kairi was standing tall. She wasn’t asking what he thought about her decision, she was telling him. She has the same power of the Keyblade as Sora and Riku, and Kairi was ready to use it. He finally had a good chunk of his family back, and he felt saddened by the thought of losing one, but he knew. Lea knew deep down that Kairi could no longer _wait_ , she needed to _do_. 

“Is there room for one more?”

“What?” Her smile disappeared. She wasn’t expecting him to come with her. “But Axel—”

“How about two?” “Three!”

Lea and Kairi turned around at the voices that appeared behind them. Roxas and Xion stood behind the counter that separates the kitchen and living room, arms full of sea shell garlands and other sundries they accumulated to show Ventus.

“You know, we are a little offended that you didn’t think to include us in this plan,” Roxas said. By then, Isa and Namine joined the group in the living room.

“But—” Kairi stuttered. She was doing this for her own selfish reasons. “Everyone has finally started to settle down. Things were finally going back to normal.” 

“But it’s not.” Roxas replied softly. “We miss him too.”

“I can’t ask that of you all.”

“You don’t have too,” Xion interjected, “Sora told us that he needed to rescue you on his own, he never told us that we couldn’t save him together. We want all our friends back.”

“I — I don’t know what to say.” Kairi found it difficult to swallow as a lump formed in her throat, and her eyes started to prickle. 

“How about LET’S GO ON ANOTHER ADVENTURE!” Lea shouted with enthusiasm.

“May our hearts be our guiding key.” 

Everyone looked toward Namine, usually speaking in a quiet unsure voice, this time full of clarity. She had her hands clasped together over her heart, eyes closed. 

“Someone once told me that, and I think it works for what we are about to do.” She opened her eyes and smiled at her friends.

“I like her’s better,” Roxas said, walking back to his room to finish packing.

“Seconded,” Isa mumbled, following suit.

“Third!” Xion announced.

“Traitors! All of you are dang traitors!”

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this story when I finished playing KH3, prior to the DLC being released. I'm joining the bandwagon of being sick and tired of Kairi not having an active part of the adventure and being stuck on the islands just _waiting_ for Sora and Riku to come back. I also wanted to explore the effect that might have on her mental health, because she also seemed like the type to hide her true feelings if she thought they might cause others to worry about her. I hope to write more family-centric KH fics in the future, and hope that you stick around for them too!
> 
> Thanks for reading! -Tofu


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